


Lucky at Cards, Unlucky in Love

by VelveteenThestral



Series: Home Is The Sailor [1]
Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-28
Updated: 2011-11-28
Packaged: 2017-10-26 15:33:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/284907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelveteenThestral/pseuds/VelveteenThestral
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An argument over whist and Shakespeare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lucky at Cards, Unlucky in Love

“You needn’t look so grim, Horatio. It was no more than a few shillings.”

“That’s not the point, Archie,” Horatio grumbled. “I fail to understand how you could have followed my play in such a fashion! Could you not tell that it was mathematically impossible, after the sergeant of Marines’ discards?”

“As a matter of fact, I could _not_ ,” Archie said, ruffled. Horatio was rarely impatient, but whist brought out his least appealing qualities. “You forget, Mr. Hornblower, not everyone has your facility with numbers.”

“But it was perfectly obvious,” Horatio protested.

“Perfectly obvious to you. A mystery to most.”

“All it requires is some application of memory, Archie.”

“My memory may not run to figures, but I’ll warrant it’s just as sharp as yours, Horatio,” Archie said. “It’s merely that my bent is for words. I’ll wager the price of our losses over again that you can’t recite four lines of Shakespeare together, even after all the plays I’ve dragged you to.”

A glint came into Horatio’s eyes. “That’s a wager you’ll lose, Mr. Kennedy.” His lips curved into an uncharacteristically wicked grin, and he recited,

“Doubt that the stars are fire,  
Doubt that the sun doth move,  
Doubt truth to be a liar,  
But never doubt I love.”

Archie stared at him in astonishment. He seized Horatio’s face in his hands and kissed him soundly.

“Lose, Mr. Hornblower?” he spoke into Horatio’s ear. “I do believe I’ve won.”

**Author's Note:**

> The genesis, as usual, was a bit of RP with eternaleponine. Ficlet written on an an airplane, when I couldn't concentrate on a longer WIP. Hope you like it.


End file.
